Excess Duelist

Proficiencies: Awareness +3

Perfect Tempo. The duelist acts early and moves fluidly; an enemy that misses it with a melee attack suffers Disadvantage on its next attack as the duelist laughs at the tempo break.

Elegant Cruelty. The duelist's hits impose Disadvantage on the target's next action; the cuts are placed for effect, not depth.

Flurry of Grace. The duelist makes two fast blade attacks against one target, or one against each of two adjacent targets. Melee Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 slashing damage.

Matador's Step. When a melee attack misses the duelist, it sidesteps and moves 5 feet to the attacker's flank without provoking; the attacker is Exposed until the start of its next turn.

Morale: Predatory and vain; withdraws with a bow if outclassed, and returns later for the rematch it considers owed.

Tactics: Slide it around the party's edge toward whoever fights beautifully or bleeds interestingly. It duels rather than swarms — let it isolate one target and perform. Massed fire and graceless tactics offend and defeat it in equal measure; it has no answer to being treated as ordinary.

Loot / Evidence / Hooks: A master-worked dueling blade with a running score etched down the flat, several marks fresh.

The Excess Duelist is a fast blade fighter who makes pain look graceful — technique refined past mastery into performance. It fights for the audience it assumes is always watching.

Use this enemy to threaten the party's flanks and give their melee fighter a fast, elegant problem.

Low-moderate durability, high speed and initiative, precise melee damage, reaction denial, punishes hesitation and misses.

Perfect Tempo. Acts early and moves fluidly; enemies that miss it in melee suffer Disadvantage on their next attack as it laughs at the tempo break.

Elegant Cruelty. Its hits impose Disadvantage on the target's next action; the cuts are placed for effect, not depth.

Flurry of Grace. Two fast blade attacks against one target, or one against each of two adjacent targets.

Matador's Step. As a reaction, sidesteps a missed melee attack and repositions to the attacker's flank.

Morale: Predatory and vain; withdraws with a bow if outclassed, and returns later for the rematch it considers owed.

Tactics: Slide it around the party's edge toward whoever fights beautifully or bleeds interestingly. It duels rather than swarms — let it isolate one target and perform. Massed fire and graceless tactics offend and defeat it in equal measure; it has no answer to being treated as ordinary.

Full Stat Block Priority: Medium